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Feng, Xia (2025) How do first-generation Chinese immigrant clients experience the cross-cultural therapeutic relationship with white British therapists in the UK? An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
Background/Aims:
As one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the UK (Latham & Wu, 2013), research has shown that first-generation Chinese immigrants (FGCIs) are vulnerable to mental health problems due to migration and acculturation difficulties (Furnham & Li, 1993). However, they are under-represented in mental health services (GOV.UK, 2020) and tend to disengage prematurely when they seek psychotherapy (Pedersen et al., 2002). It is found that the cultural differences between therapists and clients and the potential challenges that these differences pose to the therapeutic relationship (TR) may cause poor treatment outcomes among Chinese immigrant clients in White-dominated societies (Chin, 1998; Sue & Sue, 2012). However, no studies specifically examining the TR between FGCI clients and White British therapists have been found. It is hoped that this study can address this gap by investigating how FGCIs experience cross-cultural TRs with White British therapists.
Method:
This research employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants to explore their subjective experiences of the cross-cultural TRs with White British therapists.
Findings:
Three Group Experiential Themes emerged from the analysis of participants’ accounts: a) Pre-Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy Challenges (which discusses the difficulties faced by FGCIs before receiving psychotherapy), b) Cross-Cultural Therapy Experiences (which include the emotional barriers, language-related challenges, and the mixed impact of cultural differences during therapy), c) The Role of the Therapist (which explores the potential impact of therapists’ personal attributes, cultural sensitivity, and therapeutic approaches on the TR).
Conclusion:
The study revealed that FGCI clients may face multifaceted challenges when establishing cross-cultural TRs with White British therapists. It highlights the importance of therapists possessing cultural sensitivity and core qualities such as warmth and empathy to foster trust and connection with FGCI clients. The study also highlights the importance of helping FGCI clients explore the root causes of their emotional difficulties rather than merely solving practical problems.
![[thumbnail of 19013800_Xia-Feng.pdf]](https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png "19013800_Xia-Feng.pdf")
Restricted to Repository staff only until 17 June 2025.
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